Author: Citrix Server Local Admin
Last saved by: Shirley James
Company: Audit Scotland

Angus Council – podcast transcript
I’m here today with Paul Reilly, Secretary of the Accounts Commission, to talk about a new report   on Angus Council. Paul, can you tell me what this report is about?
Yes. This is the first time that the Accounts Commission has reported on Angus Council since 2010. It concentrates on four main issues resulting from the council’s change programme known as Transforming Angus, which was launched in 2013. 
So we’ve looked at 
•	the impact of the council’s new management structure on how it’s delivering services 
•	the effectiveness of working relationships between councillors  and council officers 
•	scrutiny and performance management
•	and whether Transforming Angus is delivering the council’s vision for the people of Angus and helping it meet the financial pressures it faces.
And what have you found? 
Well, we found that the council has made progress since 2010. The restructuring of the senior management team has contributed to a more positive organisational culture, and there’s a clear vision in place of where the council wants to be and how it plans to get there. The Transforming Angus programme has brought about some more modern approaches to service delivery, like allowing residents to make payments or request services like pest control and waste removal online. But, like we did in 2010, we have found that progress has been slow and we point out that Angus is only now implementing initiatives which many other councils have already done.
Some of the key elements of Transforming Angus, which were conceived in 2012, aren’t expected to deliver full year-on-year savings until 2017 or 2018. And in some cases, we won’t see savings until 2020.
How serious is the financial challenge ahead for Angus?
It’s no secret that councils across Scotland are facing a tough financial outlook. Angus has the challenge of finding £26.5million in savings over the next three years. Whether or not they’re able to do this hinges upon the success of the Transforming Angus programme, but at the moment, the pace of change is too slow. 
What does the Commission’s report say about working relationships at the council?
There has been some improvement in cross-party relations since 2010. At that point, relationships between some councillors were quite antagonistic and frankly, unproductive. We’re now seeing more of a consensus between parties. But there are some signs of fragility in cross-party relations. It’s important that whatever political developments that lie ahead, everybody works together to ensure the council’s developing approach to Best Value is sustained. 

So what does the Commission want to see happen next??
The council should work out what its priorities are when it comes to service delivery and develop a better awareness of the approaches being taken to service delivery in other councils. It should establish a more open and transparent approach to councillors scrutinising performance to allow them to prioritise where they want to see improvement.  They need better performance information to do this. The council also needs to have more debate and questioning to be carried out in public.  Above all, the pace of change needs to quicken 
Paul, thank you very much.